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Big River Timbers plywood mill is situated on the north coast of Australia at Grafton. The mill currently employees 95 people with an annual processing quota of 35 000m3. Initially all sales were domestic but now they also export to Asia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
The logs are then removed from the stemmer and broken down to 4, 6, and 8 feet lengths with any end checking also being removed. The lengths are cut using a double chain saw mechanism. The logs are then loaded onto a conveyer belt and are X-Y charged onto the lathe. The lathe peels the logs from 56 cm down to 15 cm , with the aid of a backup roll.
After peeling the layons go through a scanner which detects defects. The layons are clipped when the scanner does not detect any holes. Sheets of 8 by 4 feets are then dried for 16 minutes in a steam heated, fan circulated hot air drier. The layons are dried until their moisture content reaches 12 percent.
After drying the layons are patched, jointed, and glued. The glue is applied by twin applicator rolls, and is applied to the cross band of the veneer. The layons are then placed in a pre-press which make handling easier. The pre-press can take up to 50 sheets at one time. After pre-pressing the plywood is loaded into a hot press for a period between 2 too 3 minutes. After drying the plywood is trimmed and stacked into 50 sheets per bundle, then stored in a shed which can hold 200 m by 40 m2 volume. The plywood is transported by truck or in containers which hold 50 sheets of F17 too F34 grades.